Training & Nutrition - No...not again! How often do you catch a cold?

A little poll for your guys:

How often do you catch a cold or other respiratory virus?
What do you do to keep your immune system at the top while training hard?

Eat right, sleep right. Wash your hands.

Never. Exercise everyday. Drink loads of water, eat loads of fruit. Exercise everyday.

I saw on a running forum where really hard workouts elevate your body temperature the same as a fever. Supposively that wipes out all those nasty intruders. But it's difficult to get that kind of intense workout with cycling.

I saw on a running forum where really hard workouts elevate your body temperature the same as a fever. Supposively that wipes out all those nasty intruders. But it's difficult to get that kind of intense workout with cycling.

The only way this works is if you pile on the clothes. But, intense efforts like these also leave your immune system suppressed.

Lots of vitamin C, lots of water, and proper sleep is all I know of that works. Oh, NOT having any kids also keeps the bugs away. Since having kids in the school system, I get sick probably 2-3 times more than before. It's amazing the germs they bring home.

I used to get them all the time until I upped my Operating Thetan level to VII.
Haven't had one since.

When I was living in Manitoba and cycling about 10,000 kms a year, I rarely got colds ... it was about once every 2 years, and they were usually fairly short-lived.

Here in Alberta, I seem to get them once or twice a year ... but I'm cycling about 2000 kms a year less, and I'm associating with more people. I'm also not eating as well, and I'm getting less rest.

Hopefully in another year or so I'll move on, and be back to my Manitoba pattern again. :)

When I was living in Manitoba and cycling about 10,000 kms a year, I rarely got colds ... it was about once every 2 years, and they were usually fairly short-lived.

Here in Alberta, I seem to get them once or twice a year ... but I'm cycling about 2000 kms a year less, and I'm associating with more people. I'm also not eating as well, and I'm getting less rest.

Hopefully in another year or so I'll move on, and be back to my Manitoba pattern again. :)

I think it's the university. I had problems with frequent throat infections while I was there.

I think it's the university. I had problems with frequent throat infections while I was there.

+1!!

And it probably didn't help that I'm in the Education program, and had a 5-week practicum with Grade One students last winter.

Maybe one cold a year - I take Vitamin C and Echinacea every day. If I feel a cold coming on (scratchy throat) I use Zicam spray and take Zicam tablets and try to get extra rest. It works the majority of the time.

Maybe one cold a year - I take Vitamin C and Echinacea every day. If I feel a cold coming on (scratchy throat) I use Zicam spray and take Zicam tablets and try to get extra rest. It works the majority of the time.

Apparently you shouldn't take echinacea daily. The logic is that you don't want to stimulate your immune system all the time, and that it loses effectiveness for when you need it.

I take 250mg vitamin C, 50mg zinc, and echinacea when I feel something coming on; it really does seem to squash things before they get a foothold. I've also taken echinacea during overreaching blocks and stage races.

i'm sure air quality and being in sick buildings has more to do with it....

i haven't had a real cold this year...i had a mini-cold last year becuase i nuked it with cold FX (like zicam). I used to get more colds, but now i get one a year. Also i get a flu shot so i don't get flu.

Apparently, the average is three colds a year for the average person...three or four.When i catch one it's usually around xmas, or in feb-march. i rarely get sick in the warm weather.

Wash hands and take vitamins!

When I was living in Manitoba and cycling about 10,000 kms a year, I rarely got colds ... it was about once every 2 years, and they were usually fairly short-lived.

Here in Alberta, I seem to get them once or twice a year ... but I'm cycling about 2000 kms a year less, and I'm associating with more people. I'm also not eating as well, and I'm getting less rest.

Hopefully in another year or so I'll move on, and be back to my Manitoba pattern again. :)

That's one issue which I'm pretty sure has a huge impact: the place where you live.
Big cities and their high density population bring so much more chances to run into sick people. I'm pretty sure here in Paris the underground metro is the main vector of viruses. I was sick way more often when it was my main means of transportation.

Try having a kid in preschool or kindergarten. You'll spend all winter with some kind of virus. :(

My colds are almost always following business travel. Long flights, lack of diet and exercise, too much alcohol, and lots of shaking hands with others who flew in from different areas of the world. When I stay home in Colorado and exercise and eat right, I barely ever get sick.

My last one was getting the flu while in Italy in November. That was horrible because I tried to keep doing everything I wanted to do and ended up with pneumonia.

Luckily, I haven't had a cold in over 25 years. Don't know exactly why but I take vitamin supplements, eat mostly veggies and sleep when sleepy. I also don't hang around where lots of people are.

knotty

Luckily, I haven't had a cold in over 25 years.

I'd give a lot to be able to say the same thing. At best, the symptoms of these seasonal infections are very annoying. In the worst cases they totally **** me up with fever and me barely being able to remain standing.

Thinking back, it could be negative stress too when I used to get occasional colds. I used to have a job that was always rushing orders and dealing with customers telling you how much they needed things asap. I quit that job 25 years ago.

Since then, I've become a lazy old fart, maybe that's the reason, LOL
Anyway, hope you overcome the cold problem.

knotty

When I was young, I often had a cold ... then the past decade or so I was healthy as a fox. Now i have two kids, and I'm catching everything they bring home (which is, as mentioned above, incessant).

For the person who spends the whole year coughing and blowing his/her nose .... have you been to the Dr. and been checked for allergies? Or asthma? Or a sinus infection?

that's why i get a flu shot. I used to live with a diabetic so i got one every year, but even though I don't live with a diabetic anymore, why should I get the flu? what if you plan a vacation or something that you've saved up for all year and get the flu? a cold okay but the flu can become bronchitis or pneumonia. Of course it doesn't prevent colds and you can still get the flu but why risk it? you get a shot and you're likely safe all winter. I haven't had the flu since 1993!

Yes, but, the flu shot only protects you from last year's flus. If there's anything new around, it doesn't protect you from that.

I know a lot of people over the past few years who have gotten the flu shot, and shortly after came down with wicked flus, while I did not get the flu shot and was fine. So there's no guarantee that it will help.

the main season changes on the first very cold or very warm day. 2 times a year and they are easy ones to beat. no antibiotics usually

Until my twins started preschool, I was one of those arrogant SOBs who rarely get sick, and shrug off medication when they do.

When the boys started preschool, the entire family was immediately dog-sick for six months straight.

My advice is not to have twins, and definitely never send them to preschool. Just keep them in the cellar.

Generaly when I feel a cold comming on I go out and do a long hard ride and the cold goes away. Seems strange, but works for me. can't realy remember the last time I had a cold. Of course now that I posted this I will probably get sick tomorow.

Yes, but, the flu shot only protects you from last year's flus. If there's anything new around, it doesn't protect you from that.

I know a lot of people over the past few years who have gotten the flu shot, and shortly after came down with wicked flus, while I did not get the flu shot and was fine. So there's no guarantee that it will help.


yeah well that's why i get it every year....



RE: not having twins, that part was easy. All i have to do is look at the coughing parents and sick kids all over the place and know i did the right thing....then i run away from them as past as possible.

I think my response in this thread cursed me. I now have the most awful summer cold and can't even think of riding. It fit all the characteristics though. Just got back from a business trip...

oh no.....most likely from the trip, shaking hands and bad air quality on the plane (if you were flying). Always pack zicam when you travel!

i rarely get sick in summer...but a couple of years ago i developed a tonsil infection in late may. They gave me Zithromax...that stuff works FAST!

oh no.....most likely from the trip, shaking hands and bad air quality on the plane (if you were flying). Always pack zicam when you travel!

i rarely get sick in summer...but a couple of years ago i developed a tonsil infection in late may. They gave me Zithromax...that stuff works FAST!

Yeah, flying. I stopped using zicam after it started interfering with my sense of smell. I did some searching and found that it has been blamed for total loss of sense of smell. Not all confirmed, but seemed to do that to me and isn't worth the risk.

A little poll for your guys:

How often do you catch a cold or other respiratory virus?
What do you do to keep your immune system at the top while training hard?

question should really be "How often does the cold virus catch you... :rolleyes:

i never heard that about zicam! i only used it once becuase it's unavailable in canada. A friend got it for me, and i used the spray.

Instead i use COLD- FX, which is like zicam, only in pills. Same thing...you take it at the onset of a cold, and during the cold season to boost your immunity. So far i haven't noticed it affecting my sense of smell, and believe me i'd notice that. I have a really sensitive sense of smell.

I have also tried Airborne which seemed to work pretty well for me. My roommate was sick as a dog more often then not over this last year. I would use airborne whenever he was sick and never caught anything. Not sure if that really means anything or not.

I just kept telling him "I have an immune system strong like bull." He typically just said f-you as he laid on the couch unable to really move. Great roommate really.

Too often. A staff infection a few years back probably didn't help my immune system, and I work at an Elementary school as well as attend a University. So lots of germ pools.

Usually once or twice a winter. This past one: about 4 times. It was awful.

I eat well and excercise regularly.